Turn Around Your Bad Mood; Follow These Tips

Minor things can trigger bad days, whether it’s a having a bad time with your coleague, getting stuck in traffic, or just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

According to Shaw Achor, “happiness is a choice”. You are the determinant of your mood. You should be in full control of your emotion.

This is the good news: You can turn around a bad day just as quickly as it started.

Listen to a favorite song and try to sing along.

Studies have shown that listening to music you like can alter your mood and even alleviate depression. Try to choose positive, uplifting songs that you can sing along to.

Watch a funny video.

In a study performed at the University of Western Ontario, participants who listened to an upbeat piece of music and watched a funny YouTube video were more productive and better able to solve problems than groups who listened to depressing music and video clips.

In theory, watching funny video can actually boost productivity.

Pet an animal.

Petting an animal can dramatically improve your mood (for those that love pets). It can have such positive effects that behavioral therapists use animals to help with healing—with equine therapy.

Give and get a hug.

We often overlook human touch as a form of therapy. Health providers actually use therapeutic touch as a form of energy healing in hospitals and hospices to help patients recover from surgery.

The next time you’re feeling a little wonky, reach out to your partner, a close friend, or a family member and share a quick embrace.

Take a moment to be grateful.

One of the simplest ways to focus on the positive is to think about what you’re grateful for, whether it’s your job, your kids, or the clothes on your back. Deep breathing has a naturally therapeutic, stress-reducing quality that can help you quell the rush of stress hormones that a bad day can bring about.

Take a few moments to close your eyes. Practice inhaling deeply through your nose for a two-second count, pausing for two seconds, and then exhaling for another two seconds. This will help stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, thus quieting down your stress response.

Write about what’s bothering you and then write something you are grateful for.

Journaling is a great way to release stress and anxiety since it helps you get things off your chest in a safe way. Even if no one is going to read it, the fact that you wrote it down will make dealing with the stress a little easier.

Write in a journal exactly what’s bothering you and how you’re feeling about it. Then write a few things that you are grateful for. This will help bring you into a positive frame of mind, which will help get you out of your slump.

Do some light bodyweight exercises.

Even though you may not feel like it, getting up and moving your body will help stimulate blood flow and the release of endorphins, the well-known “feel good” hormone.

Luckily for you, you don’t have to tie your laces and head out for a three-mile run to get the benefits of exercise; even a five-minute routine that you can do right next to your desk can do the trick.

Perform a simple routine of light squats, push-ups, and easy stretches. This not only gets you out of the chair, it also stimulates happy hormone production, increases blood flow, and boosts your mood.

Be mindful of social network.

Social media has done many positive things to bring people together, but there is a dark side. Many studies have shown that checking social media can actually trigger depression because we often compare ourselves to our peers, creating feelings of inadequacy and doubt.

Control your exposure to your Facebook or Twitter feed. At work, check them only if you have to. Keep in mind that most people are always going to put their best foot forward, so don’t compare your insides to somebody else’s outsides.

10 Try talking to and listening to someone.

Seeking out meaningful conversation is proven to improve your sense of well-being. This must be done with the right person as a wrong will aggravate the situation.

11 Do Something Creative

You may not feel like doing “work” when you’re in a bad mood, but it can actually help get you out of your funk. Researchers have found that the same “narrow, alert focus on issues” that causes a bad mood can actually be a good thing when you’re being creative—and can make for more positive emotions. So not only will you kill that bad mood, but your work will be better too!

12 Do Something Nice for Someone Else

Doing something nice for others can make you feel good—even if you’re in a bad mood. So if trying to make yourself happy isn’t working, try making someone else happy. It could be something big or something small—every little bit helps.

References

Sirenal Bernal (2013); 10 Ways to Turn Around a Bad Day in 10 Minutes Or Less. Retrieved from www.tinnybuddah.com

Amy Gallo (); How to Turn a Bad Day Around. Retrieved from www.hbr.org